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The Living Forest: A World of Animals
Rien Poortvliet is a famous Dutch artist and illustrator. A superb draftsman and colorist, he has another, even more enviable gift - a singular rapport with animals. In the text and pictures of this book, the artist and the naturalist speak with equal eloquence.
Living as he does in a rustic cottage, Poorvliet has long been a close observer of the comings and goings of wild creatures. He has his favorites, and he presents them here in full color and entrancing detail. Accompanying the charming and sensitive drawings and paintings are essays and captions that express Poortvliet's special feeling for forest-dwelling animals. With gentle wit, unabashed love, and exceptional knowledge he explains the customs, habitats, physical features, and mating habits of boars, ducks, deer, rabbits, partridges, pheasants and foxes (a special favorite). As we meet Reynard the Fox, Poorvliet confides that his friend's reputation for slyness and cunning is greatly exaggerated. Rather, the fox is discovered to be "terribly cautious and suspicious!" Revelations about the duck are even more sensational: in regard to mallards we are told that "no female duck is safe when she is outnumbered by a troop of drakes."
A compendium of enlightened natural history, delicate observation, and creative fantasy, The Living Forest cannot fail to instruct and delight anyone who has the preservation and survival of wild creatures at heart and is sensitive to their beauty.
Poorvliet is currently working on a book about horses; other books by him include He Was One of Us and The Dutch Farm. His world-famous illustrations for Abrams' best-seller Gnomes also explore the world of forest animals.
Robert Elman, who contributed the Introduction, is an American authority on the outdoors. The Wildlife Editor of Outdoor Life magazine, he has written several books and numerous articles.
160 pages of illustrations, 139 in color
Living as he does in a rustic cottage, Poorvliet has long been a close observer of the comings and goings of wild creatures. He has his favorites, and he presents them here in full color and entrancing detail. Accompanying the charming and sensitive drawings and paintings are essays and captions that express Poortvliet's special feeling for forest-dwelling animals. With gentle wit, unabashed love, and exceptional knowledge he explains the customs, habitats, physical features, and mating habits of boars, ducks, deer, rabbits, partridges, pheasants and foxes (a special favorite). As we meet Reynard the Fox, Poorvliet confides that his friend's reputation for slyness and cunning is greatly exaggerated. Rather, the fox is discovered to be "terribly cautious and suspicious!" Revelations about the duck are even more sensational: in regard to mallards we are told that "no female duck is safe when she is outnumbered by a troop of drakes."
A compendium of enlightened natural history, delicate observation, and creative fantasy, The Living Forest cannot fail to instruct and delight anyone who has the preservation and survival of wild creatures at heart and is sensitive to their beauty.
Poorvliet is currently working on a book about horses; other books by him include He Was One of Us and The Dutch Farm. His world-famous illustrations for Abrams' best-seller Gnomes also explore the world of forest animals.
Robert Elman, who contributed the Introduction, is an American authority on the outdoors. The Wildlife Editor of Outdoor Life magazine, he has written several books and numerous articles.
160 pages of illustrations, 139 in color
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 9, 2022
I went from reading a novel about rape (The Bluest Eye) to a short story about rape (“Bitch") to the gang rape of the duck:
No female duck is safe when she is outnumbered by a troop of drakes. The drakes fasten their beaks to the back of the hen duck's head and push her under water. If she is lucky, she may escape breathlessly through the water plants. . . Many ducks drown during these merciless assaults and their many broods are lost.
More thoughts on “mating” in the animal kingdom:
The rabbit is gregarious and lives in a group. The strongest buck is the boss and has the best does. You know. . . like a pimp.
And:
Occasionally a shaggy black boar mates with a domestic sow—he must see something in a blond maiden. . .
The message is clear: it is not easy, nor has it ever been easy, to be a female of any species.
Almost everything about this animal guide screams the 1970s: the laid-back feel to the illustrations, the organic flow of the story, and the oft inappropriate quips from the author/illustrator, Rien Poortvliet.
If you think you don't know who Rien Poortvliet is, chances are, you're probably wrong. He's the Dutch author/illustrator/naturalist who, in the 70s, made gnomes sexy. Even if you're younger than I am, the book Gnomes has probably landed on your lap at least once during your childhood.
This animal book isn't quite as entertaining as Gnomes, because: gnomes. But, it is interesting, and it's beautifully illustrated, too.
Oh—and I'm starting a duck sanctuary soon. No drakes allowed.
No female duck is safe when she is outnumbered by a troop of drakes. The drakes fasten their beaks to the back of the hen duck's head and push her under water. If she is lucky, she may escape breathlessly through the water plants. . . Many ducks drown during these merciless assaults and their many broods are lost.
More thoughts on “mating” in the animal kingdom:
The rabbit is gregarious and lives in a group. The strongest buck is the boss and has the best does. You know. . . like a pimp.
And:
Occasionally a shaggy black boar mates with a domestic sow—he must see something in a blond maiden. . .
The message is clear: it is not easy, nor has it ever been easy, to be a female of any species.
Almost everything about this animal guide screams the 1970s: the laid-back feel to the illustrations, the organic flow of the story, and the oft inappropriate quips from the author/illustrator, Rien Poortvliet.
If you think you don't know who Rien Poortvliet is, chances are, you're probably wrong. He's the Dutch author/illustrator/naturalist who, in the 70s, made gnomes sexy. Even if you're younger than I am, the book Gnomes has probably landed on your lap at least once during your childhood.
This animal book isn't quite as entertaining as Gnomes, because: gnomes. But, it is interesting, and it's beautifully illustrated, too.
Oh—and I'm starting a duck sanctuary soon. No drakes allowed.
March 30, 2015
I had this when I was tiny. I can't even remember if I read it or just looked at the pictures.
May 16, 2021
I discovered Rien a few years ago and have slowly been collecting all of the books by this Dutch artist...though it has been slow going since the books first came out in 1972 and are sometimes quite rare to find an English copy.
The Living Forest contains 160 pages of gorgeously hand-drawn illustrations by Dutch author and illustrator Rien Poortvliet.
All of the animals drawn are from the author's own observations and they are accompanied by a handful anecdotes and quotes about the secret lives of these beasts.
I love learning about all the nitty-gritty details about these creatures - from their habitats to their behaviors.
Though - fair warning to the parents out there - while these books are charming and beautiful...they aren't children's books. Meaning the author goes into mating customs and sometimes death as well.
Overall though - absolutely a wonderful book about nature.
The Living Forest contains 160 pages of gorgeously hand-drawn illustrations by Dutch author and illustrator Rien Poortvliet.
All of the animals drawn are from the author's own observations and they are accompanied by a handful anecdotes and quotes about the secret lives of these beasts.
I love learning about all the nitty-gritty details about these creatures - from their habitats to their behaviors.
Though - fair warning to the parents out there - while these books are charming and beautiful...they aren't children's books. Meaning the author goes into mating customs and sometimes death as well.
Overall though - absolutely a wonderful book about nature.
June 28, 2021
This book has been translated into English as The Living Forest: A World of Animals. But in the original Dutch, the title is a quote from the words of Jesus: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58; see also Matt. 8:20).
The author is perhaps not a scientist but he is keenly interested in observing the natural world around him. The Netherlands is a small country but it still has a surprising number of wild species (or at least it did in the 1970s when this book came out). There are chapters on the fox, the grouse, the wild boar, hares and rabbits, partridges and pheasants, and others. We see pictures of summer and winter coats, male animals courting females or fighting rivals, mother animals with young, animals in winter, birds in flight and so on. The illustrations are executed with lavish detail.
The author advocates hunting (which for some made him a controversial figure) but only as a means of careful population control, meant to help keep the country's ecology in balance. He is definitely against careless killing, and urges the reader to think carefully about the effect of things like pesticides, which many people at the time used without considering what effect they had on the natural world.
The author is perhaps not a scientist but he is keenly interested in observing the natural world around him. The Netherlands is a small country but it still has a surprising number of wild species (or at least it did in the 1970s when this book came out). There are chapters on the fox, the grouse, the wild boar, hares and rabbits, partridges and pheasants, and others. We see pictures of summer and winter coats, male animals courting females or fighting rivals, mother animals with young, animals in winter, birds in flight and so on. The illustrations are executed with lavish detail.
The author advocates hunting (which for some made him a controversial figure) but only as a means of careful population control, meant to help keep the country's ecology in balance. He is definitely against careless killing, and urges the reader to think carefully about the effect of things like pesticides, which many people at the time used without considering what effect they had on the natural world.
October 21, 2020
This was one particular artist whom I haven't heard of, which is a bit weird since I tend to enjoy more nature-based reads than most other genre choices. As a result I can say that I came to read this particular book with a fresh eye and I can most definitely appreciate not only the artist that Rien Poortvliet is but also the naturalist who chose to bring the world of European nature to the world's eye.
Taking it out of context for the minute my husband and I had just finished watching the Grimm series while one of the things I appreciated in the series itself was the giant reference journals the Grimms had kept throughout the centuries about the wesen they had encountered. A quick flip through this particular book shows basically the same format although using art to bring the creature characters alive and being based on the natural world instead of the paranormal world. As a result each chapter is based on a different animal or set of animals while exploring their habits, their tracks, their mating methods and so much more.
The writing itself is very simple to follow along and although the information does tend to shift around and not always follow a straight flow it won't distract the reader much. Also in the cases where there are multiple animal subjects the information is split equally so the reader doesn't find themselves having to flip-flop between the animal subjects but goes from covering one before passing over to the next.
And finally the best part about this book is most definitely the artwork. Most of the chapters start off with a large-scale animal portrait with most of the animal subjects staring right back at the reader. Otherwise the author does a great job in realistically capturing not only the animals in their different paces of life but also the background in which they inhabit thus making you feel like you are in the middle of the world that Rien has explored the majority of his years.
For those who love animals whether they be European or North American or even those who just enjoy good natural artwork this is most definitely a must-read. It will make for a good coffee book read for those wanting a more natural touch or just a nice pleasure book for those who actually enjoy reading books instead of just using them as decor.
Taking it out of context for the minute my husband and I had just finished watching the Grimm series while one of the things I appreciated in the series itself was the giant reference journals the Grimms had kept throughout the centuries about the wesen they had encountered. A quick flip through this particular book shows basically the same format although using art to bring the creature characters alive and being based on the natural world instead of the paranormal world. As a result each chapter is based on a different animal or set of animals while exploring their habits, their tracks, their mating methods and so much more.
The writing itself is very simple to follow along and although the information does tend to shift around and not always follow a straight flow it won't distract the reader much. Also in the cases where there are multiple animal subjects the information is split equally so the reader doesn't find themselves having to flip-flop between the animal subjects but goes from covering one before passing over to the next.
And finally the best part about this book is most definitely the artwork. Most of the chapters start off with a large-scale animal portrait with most of the animal subjects staring right back at the reader. Otherwise the author does a great job in realistically capturing not only the animals in their different paces of life but also the background in which they inhabit thus making you feel like you are in the middle of the world that Rien has explored the majority of his years.
For those who love animals whether they be European or North American or even those who just enjoy good natural artwork this is most definitely a must-read. It will make for a good coffee book read for those wanting a more natural touch or just a nice pleasure book for those who actually enjoy reading books instead of just using them as decor.
Read
April 16, 2021Really liked the illustrations but was not interested in reading the texts.
July 11, 2018
The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning. Sometimes I find myself just flipping through it randomly just to enjoy the artwork. The information is from his point of view and it's informative and humble at the same time, it brings me into his world.
May 6, 2010
Every Dutch person must know Rien Poortvliet, right? He's classic. His books take me back to my childhood.
November 23, 2018
In his unique style Rien Poortvliet shows the animals that live in the nature around us. Farmland, parks, woods, etc in the Netherlands. Every chapter is dedicated to a different animal (the fox) or pair (hare versus rabbit). The combination of drawings and his comments scribbled aside gives the impression of visiting some hunter uncle telling you about the amazing creatures that we share this land with. I took several weeks to ‘read’ this book. Have thoroughly enjoyed these hours. Recommend.
April 4, 2024
The Living Forest contains 160 pages of beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Dutch author/ illustrator Rien Poortvliet. My favorite part of the book was the drawings and anecdotes, which come from the author's own observations. The book is entertaining, and all ages will enjoy the illustrations. However, it's not written with children in mind, who might find the mating and death descriptions disturbing.
April 25, 2019
Mooi boek; mooie illustraties en fijne beschrijvende teksten.
Rien Poortvliet beschrijft om een simpele en luchtige maar doeltreffende wijze verschillende wildtypen van de Nederlandse bossen.
Aan het eind van het boek vertelt Rien Poortvliet nog in 3 bladzijden waarom jacht noodzakelijk is en helpt enkele ideeën die het publiek heeft over de jacht naar het rijk der fabelen. Bovendien doet Rien Poortvliet nog een appèl op het lezerspubliek om de natuur netjes en rommelvrij te houden.
Ik vermoed dat veel mensen alleen de illustraties bekijken, maar het loont zeker de moeite de teksten die erbij staan te lezen.
Rien Poortvliet beschrijft om een simpele en luchtige maar doeltreffende wijze verschillende wildtypen van de Nederlandse bossen.
Aan het eind van het boek vertelt Rien Poortvliet nog in 3 bladzijden waarom jacht noodzakelijk is en helpt enkele ideeën die het publiek heeft over de jacht naar het rijk der fabelen. Bovendien doet Rien Poortvliet nog een appèl op het lezerspubliek om de natuur netjes en rommelvrij te houden.
Ik vermoed dat veel mensen alleen de illustraties bekijken, maar het loont zeker de moeite de teksten die erbij staan te lezen.
September 18, 2019
Poortvliet blijft een jager, maar hij kon wel prachtig tekenen... koop nog elk jaar trouw een agenda van zijn hand.
February 17, 2022
In dit boek gaat het over het doen en laten van het wild in ons land.
Weer een boek voor oud en jong die van de natuur houden.
Mooie illustraties met mooie teksten.
Zeer zeker een aanrader.
Weer een boek voor oud en jong die van de natuur houden.
Mooie illustraties met mooie teksten.
Zeer zeker een aanrader.
Want to read
April 9, 2015I can't wait to read this book. The artist, Rien Poortvliet, appears to have a singular rapport with animals. It is indeed true, that "in the text and pictures of this book the artist and the naturalist speak with equal eloquence."
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews